Author: Américo Marques Ferreira

Source: Quaero (Economy, Finance and Business), 08/06/2009

The institution of the Hereditary Captaincies, the Notary Publics and the favors to the privileged that were part of the Lusitanian Court are demonstrations that Brazil was born with the bureaucratic bias in its DNA. Paradoxical as it may seem, even a Ministry of Bureaucratization has already existed in our country.

I remember that Hélio Beltrão, first to occupy that portfolio, during an interview granted, diagnosed the cause of the bureaucracy as a simple matter of premise.

He said, "if we start with the presumption of lying, preventive measures will be necessary to minimize the possibilities of fraud".

And he continued, “it happens that only 3% of the Brazilian population is formed by counterfeiters, liars and thieves. The remaining 97% are good citizens, paying taxes and fulfilling their duties ”. In conclusion, he stated: “because of this 3%, the majority unduly pays a high tax on distrust”. In Beltrão's opinion, it would be enough to change the premise to the presumption of veracity that a great load of bureaucratic demands would be abolished.

Consistent with this speech, one of the first measures instituted by that minister was the declaration of homonymy.

Coincidentally, at that time I was requesting financing for the purchase of a house and I was one of the beneficiaries of that initiative, as I came across two “dirty in the square” namesakes.

Thanks to that bureaucratic measure, instead of having to go through 13 registries to obtain negative certificates, it was enough for me to write a declaration in my own hand and sign, without a recognized signature, passing the burden of proof to the financial agent.

As simple as that, with just one detail: if it were later proved that I had lied, I would be subject to the penalties of the law. However, with the clear conscience of those who are part of the 97% of good citizens, I was able to save time and streamline the process of financing that property without the obstacles of bureaucracy.

Why, then, did such a philosophy not prosper in our country?

We could list some causes:

Because there are people gaining from the “create difficulties to offer facilities” principle.

Because bureaucracy is a way to mask incompetence, outsourcing the blame for the length of the proceedings.

Because in both private and public companies there are people disguised as bees (when they're not flying, they're making wax).

Because those who are accommodated in a bureaucratic environment assume Gabriela's syndrome to justify their inability to change (I was born this way, I grew up this way, I am always like this, I will die like this, Gabriéééla!).

For the custom expressed in the phrase "For friends everything, for enemies the law".

Because reducing bureaucracy causes loss of bargaining power.
Because adopting bureaucratic measures presupposes political will and the vast majority in a position of power are more concerned with their career in the short term than fighting for the good of the community.

For the same reason that there are prank calls on freshmen in colleges. They all complain about the aggressiveness to which they were subjected, but when they reach the condition of veterans they perpetuate the games of bad taste for pure deflection.

For the famous “Law of Gérson” that impels people to want to take advantage of everything, right?

Because it is easier to pay bribes to speed up a process or clear goods, than to face bureaucratic processes institutionalized in Brazilian culture.

How, then, to solve this complex problem?

Here are some measures that, in my opinion, could contribute to meeting this challenge:

Observe the positive that has already been done in our country, seeking to disseminate these best practices in order to create a virtuous circle against bureaucracy. Example: Saves time.

Import the models of countries that stand as benchmarking in this matter. Example: New Zealand allows the opening of a company in just one day while here the same procedure takes an average of five months.

To further explore Internet resources and their correlates, to provide greater transparency and agility to processes. Example: Obtaining a police report from virtual police stations.

Avoid rework by computerizing processes. Example: Delivery of the Income Tax Return.

Starting an educational process with our children in schools, as such a change in mentality requires a long-term horizon.

Americo Marques Ferreira
Senior Consultant at Instituto MVC,
Author of E-learning Programs and DVDs
in Change Management and Team Building
www.institutomvc.com.br